


A Tragedy in Three Acts

by Eavenne



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, Death, Gen, Historical Hetalia, Historical References, Vietnam War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 02:01:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15831471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eavenne/pseuds/Eavenne
Summary: He didn't feel like a hero.





	A Tragedy in Three Acts

**Author's Note:**

> This story is about the Vietnam War.
> 
> I know that it’s still a very sensitive issue in the US, so please don’t read this fic if the topic makes you extremely angry or upset. Not everything written in this fic is meant to be taken literally – if you’re confused by something, please head to my historical notes (which will be after the fic) for clarification. Enjoy!

** Prologue  **

_The Treaty of Versailles_

She’d been there all along.

America hadn’t seen her coming. During the Versailles talks she sat in silence, her dark head disappearing into a bobbing sea of blondes and browns. When Germany’s name first came up and France sprang to his feet in outrage she hadn’t even flinched – and with the question of Germany’s punishment occupying everyone’s minds, America had other things to worry about.

If Vietnam hadn’t appeared before him when everything was over, he wouldn’t even have known she was there.

Her dark eyes calmly met his. “You said you’re going to be a hero,” she said, watching him carefully.

America laughed. “I’m already a hero!”

“You said you believe that _everyone_ – ” Vietnam paused, glanced away, and collected herself once more – “…should be able to determine their fate. That their voices shouldn’t be silenced.”

Perhaps she needed another explanation of his boss’ liberal ideals – America didn’t mind doing so, since Wilson’s Fourteen Points were simply the best. “That’s right! Hey, do you need – ”

“Then tell France to leave me alone.” There was an edge to her voice that hadn’t been there before. “If you’re really a hero, tell France to let me go.”

Something blazed in Vietnam’s eyes – and for a moment, despite himself, America could’ve sworn that he’d felt something crawling on his skin.

Perhaps he’d already known that everything would go to hell.

 

** Act 1 Scene 1 **

_Hiroshima and Nagasaki_

America wondered if he’d ever forget the look in Japan’s eyes.

 

**Act 1 Scene 2  **

_The Soviet Union_

The world needed to be protected from Russia’s smile.

 

** Act 1 Scene 3  **

_The First Indochina War_  

Perhaps France didn’t deserve it, but America helped him anyway.

World War Two had wronged him – and now France refused to surrender his last inch of pride. “I’m not going to let Vietnam go,” he said over the phone, his voice strained in an attempt to make himself heard over the yells of his soldiers. “She doesn’t know a thing. She’ll fall to pieces on her own. And her boss is one of Russia’s lackeys. You can’t have that, can you, America?”

America didn’t remember what he’d said in reply – but as France fought on and the bodies piled higher he continued to send ships and planes and aid and money. For surely if Vietnam fell to the Communists, the rest of Southeast Asia would as well – and there was no way that America would sit by and watch Russia grab at the world.

They lost, in the end.

Two brave American pilots perished in that last long fight for colonialism, for anti-communism, for France –

And America wondered if it was really worth it.

 

** Act 1 Scene 4 **

_The Geneva Accords_

They told Vietnam that they wanted to tear her in half.

America watched her from across the room – watched as she rounded on her ally China in fury, as their voices rose and fell and rose again. Somewhere to his left, France reclined in his chair; somewhere behind him, Russia looked on in silence.

Even their host Switzerland, uncaring as he was, threw an uncertain glance in America’s direction – but it was too late for reconciliation, and this was the best solution.

America hoped so, anyway.

 

 **Act 2 Scene 1**  

_The 17 th Parallel_

Vietnam gave in – and she was ripped in half.

 

 **Act 2 Scene 2**  

_South Vietnam_

America didn’t say anything when the scheduled reunification elections weren’t held.

 

 **Act 2 Scene 3**  

_Saigon_

America picked up the newspaper that morning. 

The picture of a peacefully protesting monk sitting cross-legged in a busy intersection, serene even as the billowing flames engulfed his robed body, was forever burned into America’s mind.

 

**Act 2 Scene 4**

_The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution_

Now the President had unlimited power to go to war.

 

 **Act 3 Scene 1**  

_The Second Indochina War_

It was Vietnam’s fault. 

That was what America kept telling himself – it was her fault, it was her fault, it was her, her, _her_. 

If he hadn’t convinced himself of it, he wouldn’t have been able to fight.

He wouldn’t have been able to kill.

 

 **Act 3 Scene 2**  

 _The Vietnam War_  

And they killed _everyone_.

No one was an ally – everyone was the enemy. He’d tried, at first. They’d all tried, because they were good boys and none of them delighted in killing.

But it was hard to believe in innocence when farmers hid rifles and little kids who were learning volleyball from your men blew them up with grenades.

The Vietcong were everywhere. When the coast seemed clear, they’d reappear. When he tried to snatch a breath, the gunfire would erupt like thunder from every direction and he’d collapse under the weight of the bullets in his chest.

And then they’d disappear. They’d vanish into little tunnels in the ground and make traps to mangle his soldiers’ feet. They’d kill anyone, _everyone_ , from the boy just out of college with a fuzz of hair on his upper lip, to the veteran carrying his wife’s yellowing wedding-dress photo in his uniform pocket. 

They all died. All of them. His loyal soldiers. _His best friends_.

So America’s brave men dropped napalm, and sprayed Agent Orange, and raised their guns to fire at the nameless, faceless people before them. Sometimes no one knew whether the person they’d just killed had been a Vietcong or a civilian – but it didn’t matter, for one more dead body meant one more stroke on the kill count.

And that was how everyone became the enemy.

 

 **Act 3 Scene 3**  

_The Tet Offensive_

He’d thought it was impossible. 

When the Tet Offensive happened they were unprepared, and suddenly the Vietcong were swarming into villages and killing his men.

And perhaps America didn’t lose that fight – but when it was broadcast on TV, his citizens back home suddenly sat up straight and realised that their country wasn’t winning. All the kill counts and confiscated weapons they’d been shown weren’t enough to convince them of it anymore – and ultimately, all the ideological fervour in the world had to bow down to the weight of public opinion. It was why France had been forced to leave Vietnam after the First Indochina War – and it was why America would do so, after the second one.

Despite everything, he was happy that it was going to be over.

He didn’t feel like a hero.

 

**Act 3 Scene 4**

_The Fall of Saigon_

The men who’d remained in Vietnam escaped by helicopter when Saigon fell.

But the ghosts of their comrades-in-arms lingered, restless and still awake, in the jungle graveyards where they’d lost their lives.

And they haunted the dreams of those who survived.

 

**Epilogue**

_Vietnam_

She’d been here all along. 

Her black hair shone under the gentle moonlight, glittering like ink – when he walked forward, her dark eyes darted up coolly to meet his own.

“America,” said Vietnam, turning to face him. She didn’t smile, but her head dipped for a quick moment in greeting. “How are you?”

He grinned. “Same old, same old,” said America, leaning casually against the bright silver bannisters on the balcony. They were at a hotel in Las Vegas, and the other nations were packed in the ballroom behind them, dancing the night away in wild celebration of the new millennium – and Vietnam was here, standing quietly by herself, completely alone.

With a small movement, she inclined her head to gaze out at the city. Lights flickered below them as cars trailed behind cars, slowly huffing their way down the glimmering roads.

“I’m glad,” said Vietnam suddenly. America looked up to see her take a step towards him, her silvery silk gown rustling with the motion. “I’m glad that we can get along now.” In one smooth movement she placed an elbow on the bannister, and rested her chin on her open palm. “For a long time, I didn’t think it was possible.”

The faint strains of music drifted warmly towards them, and the swinging chandeliers of the ballroom beckoned dizzily to America. It would be easy to simply turn and leave, for he didn’t quite know what to say to someone whom he’d injured so badly and who had wounded him just as terribly – 

But he stayed.

“I’m glad too,” said America, thinking of all the brave men he’d lost.

“I’m glad.”

**Author's Note:**

> Historical Notes
> 
> As I think you can tell (if you’ve read this far), the entire dang fic is historical. With that said, I still think there are some things that I have to clarify (mostly because not everything is, in the strictest sense, factually accurate). Enjoy!
> 
> Versailles:
> 
> Ho Chi Minh, a revolutionary leader in Vietnam (revolutionary = wanted a revolution), tried to petition Woodrow Wilson (POTUS) at the Versailles Talks (talks intended to decide the fate of Germany and others after WW1 – I believe Germany itself wasn’t present) to uphold the values he often spoke of, and liberate Vietnam from France (its coloniser). This didn’t happen, mostly because France was a US ally. 
> 
> First Indochina War:
> 
> After WW2, France wanted to take over Vietnam again (before that, since Axis forces had occupied France, Japan, in its invasion of Southeast Asia, actually allied with French forces to fight Ho Chi Minh’s people). 
> 
> America did actually aid it in doing so, though mostly via weapons. This was because Ho Chi Minh was Communist, and they believed that once Vietnam fell to communism, the rest of Southeast Asia would follow. You can read more about it on the Wikipedia page for the First Indochina War. French public opinion turned against the war, and so the French had to withdraw.
> 
> Geneva Accords:
> 
> Vietnam was against being split in half, and ultimately China (its ally at the time – they later became enemies again) convinced it to agree. While the formatting of my fic implies otherwise, the agreement was signed AT the Geneva Accords, and Vietnam was split North-South by the 17th Parallel, which is an arbitrary line on the globe or something.
> 
> There were also supposed to be elections held to reunify the country according to who won (South Vietnam’s leader, Ngo Dinh Diem, vs the North led by Ho Chi Minh). Diem ignored the North’s calls for the elections. As I mentioned, America (who was supporting him) let him do so. 
> 
> Saigon:
> 
> 1\. The monk’s name was Thich Quang Duc. Diem was brutal towards the Buddhists in South Vietnam (which is the majority religion) and this monk self-immolated in protest. The picture I described is famous, chilling, and can easily be found online.
> 
> The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution:
> 
> It removed most restrictions from the president in regards to Vietnam. Lyndon B Johnson (POTUS) began a steady escalation of the war, hoping to bring it to a quick conclusion. 
> 
> The Second Indochina War = The Vietnam War
> 
> “They killed everyone” + “No one was an ally”:
> 
> Obviously not physically possible or true in a literal sense – I wrote it that way to convey a feeling. However, this article (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23427726) will tell you that US soldiers did in fact kill many, many civilians. (If you’ve heard of the My Lai massacre, this article claims that it wasn’t just an isolated incident, and that there were many, many such happenings). Intentionally or otherwise. Bad experiences made them paranoid.
> 
> (I’m not here to judge, though, and I understand why things happened the way they did. Please don’t get mad at me in the comments. I deeply respect the people who served in Vietnam). 
> 
> The Vietcong’s tactics:
> 
> They were basically guerrilla fighters who quickly attacked and retreated. The “holes” I mentioned were basically this elaborate tunnel system which they used for hiding and reappearing suddenly. They made booby traps when they retreated, with concealed spikes smeared with shit and other stuff so that the soldier who stepped on them would get an infection. 
> 
> Napalm, Agent Orange:
> 
> Chemical attacks used by the US army. Agent Orange in particular has supposedly left about 1 million Vietnamese still suffering from its effects since it affects people’s unborn kids too (the US disputes this claim, made by the Vietnamese red cross), not to mention the many Vietnam veterans who were exposed to it. America later coordinated with Vietnam to try and clean up the Agent Orange damage.
> 
> Kill Counts:
> 
> Were a thing. There was no traditional front line, so the US army tallied the number of dead bodies they found in order to see if they were winning. The article I linked above will give you additional information about it. 
> 
> The Tet Offensive: 
> 
> Was basically a North Vietnamese military campaign to launch surprise attacks in several US-controlled villages. It worked at first, but America managed to suppress them. Military-wise, it was a huge defeat for North Vietnam. However the incident was broadcast on TV, and public opinion began to turn against the war.
> 
> The Fall of Saigon:
> 
> Officials in the American embassy in Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City) evacuated via helicopter.
> 
> America and Vietnam’s current relationship:
> 
> It’s actually really good. Apparently, America has a 84% approval rate in Vietnam – one of the highest in Asia.


End file.
